Conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures are typically inflexible and rigid in design. These conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures include one or more distinct areas of design inflexibilities which can cause a substantial increase in time for people installing and/or maintaining these conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures. Thus, installation costs and maintenance costs are unnecessarily increased when using these conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures.
One of the distinct areas of design inflexibilities includes the requirement of tools for accessing one or more internal components of the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures that can require maintenance. For example, when servicing a ballast within the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures, at least one of the lens, louver, or reflector requires a tool for disassembly so that access can be made to the ballast. For instance, the reflector can be screwed into the housing a tool. When tools are used to access certain internal components, the time and efforts expended by the maintainer is increased; thereby increasing costs. Additionally, when the correct tools are not available, the maintenance of the internal components is delayed and productivity that depends upon the lighting provided by that conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixture is decreased, which also increases costs and/or decreases revenue.
Another distinct area of design inflexibilities includes the fixed position of mounting arms that are positioned along the backsides of conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures. When installing these conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures, an installer generally has to perform complex field adjustments to properly install the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures. For example, conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures having two or more mounting arms may not have the mounting arms in proper alignment with an electrical J-box and/or a wall stud, which provides support to the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures when mounted. The installer may have to tear down a portion of the mounting platform, and move the electrical J-box and/or add additional bracing or studs for properly mounting the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures. Once making the proper adjustments, the installer will have to wait for another person to redo the portion of the mounting platform that was torn down. This design inflexibility within the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures causes increased installation times and, at times, repetition of work previously performed; thereby unnecessarily increasing installation costs.
Another distinct area of design inflexibilities includes the continuous mounting feature of two or more conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures. When mounting two conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures in a row, components of each of the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures are removed so that the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures are coupled together from within the housings of each conventional fixture using a bolt, screw, or other fastening device. Since components for each conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixture have to be removed to access the interior of the housing, the time expended and the installation costs associated with continuously mounting two or more conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures together in a row are unnecessarily increased.
Another distinct area of design inflexibilities includes the ability for using different lamp sizes within the same conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixture. Many conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixtures use fluorescent lamps, or other lamp types, and are designed to use a particular lamp size. Lamps can be purchased in various sizes, for example, T5 and T8. Typically, when a user desires to change lamp sizes to increase or decrease the illumination level, the user purchases a different conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixture that is capable of housing the different lamp size and replaces the existing conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixture. This design inflexibility increases the cost associated with changing lamp sizes.
Another distinct area of design inflexibilities includes the louver option. The louver is typically coupled to housing of the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixture using screws, bolts, or other fastening devices. Thus, to access internal components, tools are typically used to uninstall the louver; thereby increasing time and costs for installation and/or maintenance of the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixture. Additionally, the conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixture is designed to have a louver with a lens or to have a louver without a lens, but is not designed to be freely interchangeable between the two options. The conventional asymmetric linear lighting fixture is not flexibly designed to have the user decide whether to use a louver with or without a lens.